Car-coupling



(No Model.)

.. .UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE;

' GEORGE w. JAMEs, OE LIMA, OHIO.

oAR-OoUPLlNG.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 364,114, dated May 31, 1887.

Application filed Novemlter 15, 1586. Serial No. 219.849. (N o model.)

To all whom, it may concern:

Beit known that I, GEORGE W. JAMES, a citizen of the United States, residing at Lima, in the county of Allen and State of Ohio,

-have invented certain new and useful Improvenients in Car-Couplings, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to certain improve- :ments in the construction of automatic-link- Ic; and-pin couplings for cars.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a vertical longitudinal section of the draw-head,and shows the link and pin I 5 coupled. Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal section of the draw-head alone. Fig. 3 is a vertical cross-section of the draw-head on the line 3 3, and shows a front viewy of the pin in position. Fig. et is a vertical longitudinal section of the draw-head, and shows the pin raised and supported on the top of draw-head. Fig. 5 is a vertical longitudinal section of the draw-head, and shows the pin down and the link in the position it takes when projecting from the draw-head of another. car and about to make au automatic coupling. Fig. 6 is a side view of the pin. Figs. 7 and 8 are cross-sections of the pin on the lines 7 and S, respectively.

The letter A designates the mouth of the draw-head; b,the link-recess; O, the pin, and d the link.

The top of the draw-head has a vertical hole or opening, c, for the pin C, which latter has an irregular shape. The draw-head has at the top and at each of the two sides of the said pin-opening a recess, f, the front wall of which is vertical andthe rear wall inclined from the bottom upward and to the rear. The pin Chas at each side a lateral lug, f and normally said lugs occupy the aforesaid recesses f. The front side of thelugf is curved orhalfround, and-comes against the front wall of the recess f. The lugs f being half-round on the front side adapts the top of pin to tilt forward, as indicated by broken lines in Fig. 5. The rear side of lug f has an inclination corresponding to the inclination of the said rear wall of the recess f, whereby the pin will be assisted to 5o rise so as to couple automatically when a link,

d, projecting from the drawliead of another car, presses against its front, as in Fig. 5.

The draw-head has at the front side of the pin-hole a recess, which produces lan upward bearing, g, and the pin has at its front side an 5; oset which forms a shoulder, g', which, when the pin is raised vertically, comes against the said upward bearing g, and thereby the up movement of the pin is limited. The front side of the pin, ath, just below the shoulder g, 6o is the most prominent, and from this most prominent part to its lower end, t, the front of the pin curves slightly backward. When about to couple automatically, a link, d, will press the pin on this slightly-curved front, and thereby the pin willbe assisted to rise.

The lower end, i, of the pin sets in a socket, e', in the lower side of the draw-head, said socket constituting the bottom of the pin` hole e. The socket c in the bottom of the 7o draw-head has at its rear side an upward curve, lc, the upperv end of which terminates or merges in the rear wall of the link-recess b. The lower'end of the pin has at its rear side an up curve, la-which will readily slide up the upward curve la in the bottom of the draw-head. The pin-hole has a rear wall, Z, the lower end of which enters the rear of the link-recess b and merges in or joins the said upward curve k. The pin has on its rear side 8o a rearward-projecting lug, lf, which curves from its lower side upward to its extremity, whereby when the pin rises to a point where the upper side lugs, f leave the recesses f the said rear lug, Z, will comein contact with the rear wall, Z, of the pin-hole, and as hthe end of alink, d, on the draw-head of another car will at that time be pressing against the front side of the pin at a point lower than the said rear lug, Z, the effect will be that the rear 9o lug will act as a fulcrum on which to tilt for-. ward the top ofthe pin, as indicated in Fig. 5, whereupon the continued pressure of the link d will cause the pin C to rise still higher, and thereby readily admit the end ofthe said link to the rear wall of the link-socket b, and then the lower end, t', of the pin will slip forwardv into the link and effect the coupling.

The foregoing is a description of the automatic coupling. roo

e p Y 364,114

The rear lug, Z', besides serving the first purpose, as above described, to tilt forward the top of the pin, serves two other purposes, to wit: second, when the link and pin are coupled, as in Fig. l, the rear lug, Z, rests upon the end of the link, and thereby the link is balanced and its outer end is caused to project horizontally in proper position to couple with another car; and the third purpose which the rear lug, Z, serves is to stop the withdrawal of the pin from the draw-head, which it will do by coming in contact with a forward projecting lip, m, at the top and rear of the pinhole. The draw-head also has at the top and rear of the pin-hole and above said lip m an upward-pointing edge, n, and the pin hasjust above the rear lng a notch, m', to receive the forward-projecting lip m, and the pin also has at the top side of the said notch a downwardpointing lip, n', which takes over the said edge n at the top and rear of the pinhole, as shown in Fig.4. Thus the pen may be suspended, and when a link projectingr from the drawhead of another car enters the link-recess below the suspended pin the concussion of the two ears will cause the pin to drop and couple with the link.

Having described my invention, I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States 1. In a car-coupling of the link-and-pin class, the combination of a draw-head having a pinhole, c, provided at the top and at each of the two sides with a recess, f, each having a vertical front wall and an inclined rear wall,and provided at the bottom and rear side with an upward curve, k, which joins the rear wall, Z, of the pin-hole, and a pin, C, having at each of its two sidesa lug,'f, which occupy the said recesses, and at its lower end an upcurve, k', and provided on its rear side with a. lug, Z', the lower side of which is curved upward to its extremity, as and for the purpose set forth.

2. In a car-coupling of the link-and-pin class, the combination of a draywhead having a pinhole, e, and provided at the top and rear of the said hole with a forward-projecting lip, m, and an upward-pointing edge, n, above said lip, and a pin, C, having at its rear side alng, Z', a notch, m', above the lug, and at .the

top side of said notch a downward-pointing lip, 1L', as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof Iaix my sgnatu re in presence of two witnesses.

Y GEORGE W. JAMES.

Witnesses:

J. H. PHILLIPS,

CALVIN MoPi-IERON. 

